Today I want to bring you into my personal world a bit. 2020 really made me more aware of how short life is. So many people in our nation and the world were affected by the virus. This verse in the book of James became more real than ever:

Have you ever experienced awkward silence in conversation with someone? It’s when both people can’t think of anything to say and neither feels comfortable about the silence. Usually one starts a sentence, not knowing what they’ll say but they just speak out, “So, yeah, um, um.” It’s terrible right? Some people hate awkward silence so much that they just keep babbling about whatever random thing they can think of to say. I personally think it’s nice when two people can be silent with each other and it’s not awkward at all.

Today is Martin Luther King Day and a perfect day to talk about justice as it relates to the pursuit of God. Dr. King wasn’t the perfect example of a Christian but in certain regards, he was a burning and shining light in his generation. He showed us what it means to love in the face of hate. He was no mere talker but put his life on the line for what he believed. He faced constant death threats—and even had the C.I.A. hounding him!—but he did not waver from his cause to promote racial justice. White pastors called him a dangerous extremist but he sustained an attitude of kindness and respect toward them always.

Why didn’t anybody tell me about East Beach in Watch Hill? My wife—who is a bit obsessed with finding sea glass—brought me here today as I write this. I’ve lived in Rhode Island for over twenty years and have explored the tiny state through and through. Or so I thought. I’ve actually been to Watch Hill many times but somehow missed this beautiful beach.

The church is in decline in America. The need of the hour is for God’s people in this land to consecrate themselves to a “fasted lifestyle.” We need to put aside TV and toys for the sake of the pursuit. We cannot have the glory of God and the glory of the world.

Growing up I was pretty average, or at least felt average. Average in looks. Average in academics. Average in sports. Average musically. Average in social skills. Being average, and probably thinking of myself as less-than-average, made it feel impossible to “go out with” (term for dating in the ’80s) any of the beautiful girls in my school. But every once in a while—perhaps by an unseen movement of divine mercy—I would find out that a really beautiful girl was crazy about me. The whole world seemed instantly charged with fresh energy.

What if God doesn’t show up for your prayer time? Has that ever happened to you? You set aside a generous block of time to pray but when you get there the spiritual lights are off and nobody is home. Your mind feels blank. There’s no inspiration. As the old saints used to say, “The heavens are brass.” Oh God, where are you?

If you are new to fasting it’s good to ease into it. If you have health conditions it’s also good to get advice from your physician.

As I mentioned in my last letter, many of the survey responses expressed interest in learning about fasting. It’s funny how there aren’t really that many books on the topic despite the fact that the Bible talks a lot about it. The one book that stands out that I’d recommend is God’s Chosen Fast by Arthur Wallis. It’s a short read but very dense. He has several other good books, as well. My intention here is to give you a brief beginner’s guide to fasting.

Thanks for all the survey responses. Very helpful. It was interesting how many of you asked for teachings on fasting. I’ll put something together this week. Today I want to talk about “tiny prayers”. Up to this point, I’ve put a lot of emphasis on shutting away and giving God generous amounts of time. This is absolutely important. But another good habit is to shoot up small prayers throughout the day from morning till night.

I think one of the reasons why many Christians don’t pray, or don’t like praying, is that they don’t believe it really does anything. Or if it does, they never really know. So I want to pose this question that I’m sure we’ve all asked at one time or another: does prayer really work?

Imagine if you lived when Jesus walked the earth, and he pulled you aside and said, “I have to get supplies for the meal tonight. It’s about an hour walk each way. I’d love it if you came with me so we can talk.” That would be amazing right?

Growing up in the 1970s was not always easy. It was a decade when kids could be really mean. Maybe this could be said of every decade, but I remember how hard it was to find a good friend. Occasionally though, “the stars would align,” and I found someone who seemed to understand me, whom I could be totally open with. Having a good friend sweetens the whole life.

It’s relatable that Jesus often withdrew to solitary places to pray, but everyone was always looking for him. Isn’t it hard to get alone? Our time with God is interrupted by a small child—who should be napping—who “desperately needs” water. Or we are really starting to get into prayer when someone shouts out from another room, “Can someone please give me a hand?” Or you are nestling into a perfect stillness, communing quietly, when your two roommates start bickering about something dumb. It’s nice to know Jesus too struggled to get alone! He had to hide himself from people but sometimes they would find Him!

One of my favorite films is Chariots of Fire. It is set in the early 1900s and is based on the true story of Olympic Athlete, Eric Liddell, a strong Scottish Christian who was devoted to running for the glory of God. One race scene really shows his grit. He was doing well (maybe a 400-meter race?) until he tripped and wiped out. Slow motion effects make it extra dramatic as he is flailing in a pile of dust. As he watches the whole pack speed ahead of him toward the finish he seems to pause as if waiting for direction from God. He rises to his feet and runs with blazing otherworldly passion straight past everyone—and wins the race! Then collapses struggling to catch his breath from the exertion.

“You aren’t cut out for this 100 day pursuit. You aren’t holy enough. This is for spiritual people. You don’t have what it takes. You are too dirty to come near to God. Who are you kidding? Don’t even bother trying because you are definitely going to fail.”

Have you heard thoughts like this in your head? This is the voice of discouragement that comes when we decide to get more serious about drawing near to God.

A child groaning in pain always moves the heart of a parent. I think of my girls when they were little and sometimes got terrible stomach aches or other physical ailments. If the discomfort was severe they just couldn’t help expressing it with sighing and groaning, and sometimes tears. The very look on their face seemed to pull at our hearts as parents. We’d sit with them, hold them and get them whatever they wanted. We took special trips to the store to get important items like cough syrup, tissues, and of course, popsicles. Their anguish just went right through us every time.

Life is a blur. Even during a pandemic, staying inside our house all day, we are experts at staying busy. Even when we are physically still, our mind is racing. We are thinking about the next thing we need to do. We are thinking about tomorrow. We are thinking about work. Some of us wake up to a crowd of thoughts all competing for the main stage in our minds.

A few months after I began my pursuit of God in 1989 I remember something unusual and wonderful happening. Walking around the city on a beautiful day I started praying in my mind. After a while I noticed that my words became more fluent and flowing. It felt like someone else was praying. But it was still me and my personality. Very strange but amazing! This was the Holy Spirit within carrying me along in a current of conversation.

Happy New Year! Thanks for joining with me in this 100 day pursuit of God. Today is day #1, and I want to give you a few thoughts to set you in the right direction.